


Head above water

by sarcasmismyweapon



Series: Learning Curve [10]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Accidental swimming, Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Cute, Fluff, Friendship, Genin Iruka, Genin Umino Iruka, Life lessons fic, LifeLessonsfic, Ninja Training, One Shot, Other, Sarcasm, Sass, Walking on water
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 15:58:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17124365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcasmismyweapon/pseuds/sarcasmismyweapon
Summary: Kakashi decides that Iruka needs some help with walking on water after observing the Genin, so he does what any Anbu would do. He helps, shame that his brand of helping might end up with the boy in the water more than out of it.Life Lessons One-shot





	Head above water

**Author's Note:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS...And if you don't celebrate that then Happy Sunday!
> 
> Here is another one-shot that was written just for this week in mind. It's the last work I have for you guys, but hey you got two present PLUS the fic I posted in the middle of the week. So hope you're all happy. 
> 
> Many thanks to all of you who come back week after week to read my works or to those who have stumbled upon my random little corner of a fandom. I hope you all enjoy the one-shot, leave a comment or kudo if you do.

  
Kakashi couldn’t help but watch with pride as Iruka balanced himself on the water, it was precariously done but the kid was still learning after all. Hidden among the trees the Anbu watched to see what the boy had planned, Iruka had been doing his best to practice his new abilities whenever he could. This included the moment his sensei released him and his teammates, Kakashi had been shocked the first time he’d stumbled upon the boy training after his real training had already ended for the day. The kid was going to overwork himself, but Kakashi didn’t have the heart to tell Iruka to slow down. Kakashi figured he could leave that to the kid's sensei, it was his problem after all. 

Snorting as he watched Iruka forcefully correct himself as his one leg dipped into the water, Kakashi edged closer to the boy skirting the branches of the tree he was hiding in. Iruka managed to regain his balance, staying well above the water's surface despite the rings that radiated outwards from where his feet were placed.

By the looks of it all, it would take was a tiny disruption to the water's surface to send the boy toppling over, shaking his head Kakashi wondered if the boy's sensei was showing them how to prevent such a thing from happening or if he was secretly finding pleasure in torturing his students. Secretly Kakashi knew that’s what he would do.    
With nothing better to do, Kakashi decided to have some fun with the kid. Jumping down from his perch the Anbu approached the edge of the water, standing just shy of it as he called out to the boy. “Learned some new tricks huh?”   
Iruka spun around nearly toppling himself into the water, Kakashi chuckled as the boy managed to save himself at the last moment, though the water soaking up to his knee showed how close he’d come to taking a swim. Iruka huffed as he carefully got his footing once more above the water, the Genin glared down at his wet legs before looking across the water to where Wolf stood.   
“That was mean.” He pouted.   
“Was it?” The Anbu tilted his head. “I was merely saying hello.”   
Iruka glared all the harder. “No, you weren’t. You did that on purpose.”   
The Anbu laughed at the pouting boy, nodding as he fessed up. “Alright, alright so maybe I was.”   
“You were.” Iruka muttered.   
“You’ve got a good handle on it though.”   
Iruka smiled upon hearing the man’s praise, he’d been working hard in order to stay upright on the water's surface. It was a lot harder than his sensei or Wolf made it look, but Iruka thought that just might be how everything ninja related was.   
“We’ve been practicing.”   
“I bet.” The Anbu nodded even as he walked along the shore to hop up onto a boulder, seemingly at peace to sit beside the small lake talking to the Genin who was still focusing to stay above the water's surface. “How are you and your teammates doing?”   
Iruka made a face before wincing as he had to correct his left foot when it started to sink from his lack of focus, sighing in relief when he managed to stabilize himself. Looking back at his Anbu Iruka answered. “Well, we’ve all fallen in a lot.”   
The Anbu chuckled. “To be expected.”   
“Sensei finds it amusing.”   
“Also to be expected.”    
Iruka huffed. “Why’s that so funny?”   
Wolf shrugged. “Probably because it just is.” Kakashi ignored the glower he received for his lackluster answer, sighing he possed it in a way the boy would understand. “Wouldn’t you find it amusing to see Hawk fall into the water?”   
Iruka nodded. “It’s the same thing for your sensei.”   
“Oh.”   
Smirking beneath his mask Kakashi reminded the boy. “You guys do drive him up a wall, its only fair that he gets a little stress relief by making you guys take a swim.”   
The Genin sighed. “Yeah, I guess so.” Iruka stared down at his sandal-clad feet, the water was rippling out from where he stood. Something his sensei had already cautioned them about, frowning at the sign of his fluctuating chakra the Genin called out to his Anbu without looking up. “How do you make the ripples go away?”   
Wolf snorted. “Focus.”   
“I’m already doing that.”   
“Oh...Well in that case. Focus some more.”   
Iruka canted his head up to glare at the chuckling Anbu. “Mean.” He called out.   
Wolf shrugged. “The truth hurts kid.”   
Sighing Iruka went back to staring at the fluctuating water. “I’m not sinking.” He called aloud as if the Anbu couldn’t already tell, the pride in the child's voice had Kakashi smirking beneath his mask.   
“Yeah I can see that, but that doesn’t mean your stable.”   
“I feel stable-ish.”   
Sighing the Anbu shook his head. “You’re not though, a simple disruption in your chakra could have you falling into the water. You’re not really concentrating on your chakra so much, your fighting against it, trying to force it to bend to your will...You need to relax.”   
Iruka glanced back at the Anbu who was sprawled lazily across the boulder. “When I do that I fall in.”   
Snorting Wolf muttered. “Not that relaxed Iruka, just stop forcing your chakra to bear the weight of everything. You just want it to keep you above the water, not above the world.”   
The furrow that formed on the kid's forehead told Kakashi enough, Iruka didn’t get it yet. There wasn’t a problem with that, he still had plenty of time to learn and knowing the kid's sensei the man was doing things slowly simply because he could.    
“How do you do it?”   
Wolf tilted his head back at the boy. “Do what? Balance on top of the water?”   
Iruka nodded. “The same way anyone does Iruka, the same way you’re learning to do it.”   
Iruka gave a frustrated huff. “But you said I’m not doing it right.”   
Chuckling the Anbu shook his head. “I suppose that’s wrong then, what I meant to say was you’re making it harder than it needs to be and that’s making the entire thing difficult for you.”   
Iruka stared back at him a moment before blandly stating. “Are you saying I’m being stupid?”   
Wolf laughed. “Not intentionally.” Though Kakashi admitted to himself that it had kinda sounded that way to his own ears, he wasn’t one to back down so he had just chosen not to comment on it. Iruk was smart however and had picked up quickly that he was being taunted.   
“I don’t think that makes it any better.” The boy admitted.   
The Anbu shrugged in reply, leaving it up to the boy to decide what he thought about the entire ordeal. Kakashi was content to watch the boy balance himself on top of the water’s surface. Every now and then Iruka had to re-stabilize himself when a foot would start to dip below the water. Each time Iruka struggled to keep his balance while simultaneously pulling the sinking limb back to the top, Kakashi couldn’t help but want to help him. It was a shame he couldn’t do that, all he could was offer up some advice until the boy got the hang of it. Then again there was something...Though he doubted Iruka would like the consequences of it, shrugging to himself Kakashi figured it was worth a shot.   
Sliding off of the boulder he had been lounging on, Kakashi stepped evenly onto the lakes surface not a ripple in sight from his steps as he approached the Genin. Iruka looked up from his feet once he’d regained his balance only to smile when he saw Wolf coming to stand before him on the water.   
“I thought you weren’t going to come over here.”   
Wolf shrugged. “I’m not liable to fall in, there’s little risk of me getting wet.”   
The impish look that crossed the boys face had Wolf adding. “If you do whatever it is you’re thinking about doing I will retaliate and it will end with you taking a swim.”   
Iruka pouted. “Mean.”   
Snorting the Anbu replied. “Attempting to ambush me isn’t very nice.”   
“You do it to me.”   
Wolf shrugged. “That’s training.”   
“It’s really not.”   
“I consider it training.” Wolf amended. “It does you good.”   
Iruka rolled his eyes at the Anbu’s lame attempt to cover his tracks, no one believed he had good intentions when Wolf did things to them. They laughed and didn’t help, but they also didn’t lie about the Anbu’s motivation. 

Letting that go Iruka turned his sights on the Anbu’s sandaled feet, Wolf was perfectly balanced on the water’s surface. He made it look so easy, just like his sensei did. Sighing Iruka shook his head. “I don’t know how you’re doing that.”   
“Like I said, same as you.”   
Looking up at the masked face Iruka muttered. “I sink.”   
Chuckling Wolf replied coolly. “Well, it's a good thing you know how to swim then isn’t it?”   
“Mean.” Iruka groused.   
The Anbu shrugged his shoulders as if his words didn’t have any weight to them, Iruka wouldn’t put that past the man seeing as Wolf wasn’t normally bothered by anything he or his friends did.    
“Has your sensei tried to give you guys something to focus on?”   
“Like what? I thought we had to focus on the water.”   
Sighing the Anbu shook his head. “No, I meant something distracting while you’re trying to balance...Sometimes having a secondary focus allows you to relax your chakra.”   
“Sounds like it would make me fall.”   
“It could.” Wolf admitted. “But it’s also a good way of learning the technique faster...Provided you don’t mind getting wet.”   
The Genin mulled it over a moment, it wasn’t like he hadn’t gotten soaked all week long when he trained with his team and sensei, even now he was soaked up to his knees. Iruka shrugged. “Can we do it?”   
“You want me to distract you?”   
“Sure, if you think it will work.”   
The Anbu chuckled. “Distracting you will work, you being able to stay above water while I’m doing it is another thing.”   
Sighing the Genin muttered. “Well, at least I know how to swim right?”   
“That’s the spirit.”   
Wolf had no sooner taken two steps away from him than did the Anbu cross his arms over his chest, tilt his head and inform the Genin. “Better keep your balance.”   
“Huh?”   
Kakashi laughed when the boy sputtered upon coming to the surface of the water, coughing a few times as he treaded water.    
“What’d you do?” The waterlogged boy asked.   
“I gave a pulse of chakra to the water’s surface.”   
Iruka looked like a drowned rat with his hair plastered to his head, strands covering parts of his face even as the boy asked. “How could I avoid that?”   
The Anbu shook his head. “You can’t, which is why I did it.”   
Iruka huffed even as he spit out another mouthful of water when his face ducked down beneath the water line. Shaking his head Kakashi took pity on the boy and instead of making him swim to the shore walked the few feet to the Genin and knelt down. Iruka stared up at him with a watery scowl only to give a startled noise when the Anbu reached out and grabbed him under his armpits, pulling him out of the water as he stood up.   
“Ready to get your feet under you?” The Anbu asked as he steadied Iruka above the water.   
The Genin coughed a few times before nodding. “Good.” Wolf released him only to sigh when Iruka nearly fell straight into the lake again. Snatching up the boy once more he glowered at the soaking wet Genin. “I asked if you were ready.”   
“I lied.” Iruka gave a few more waterlogged coughs.

“Obviously.” The Anbu rolled his eyes. “Are you ready now?”   
“Maybe?”   
Sighing the Anbu let go of the Genin fully prepared to let him sink into the water if he wasn’t taking things seriously. Iruka started to sink before he managed to reach out and grab Wolf’s wrist using it as an anchoring point to pull himself back out of the water.   
Kakashi smirked beneath his mask, proud that the boy had thought about how best to get out of the water. Struggling without a handhold like Iruka had just used Kakashi for, Iruka wouldn’t have been able to regain his footing. Iruka took a few deep breaths before releasing the Anbu’s wrist and smiling, even being so bold to wipe his hair out of his face while staying balanced.   
“Good job.” The Anbu nodded.   
“Thanks.” Iruka replied demurely. “If-If you do that again, I’ll fall right?”   
“Most likely.”   
Iruka frowned. “How do I stop that from happening?”   
Smirking beneath his mask, Kakashi replied. “Practice.” The drawn-out sigh from the Genin had him asking. “Are you giving up?”   
Iruka stared back at him and with a note of determination in his voice replied. “No.”   
“Good.” Wolf nodded while taking a few steps back. “Ready?”   
Iruka winced. “No?”   
Chuckling Wolf shook his head. “Focus.” And with another pulse of his chakra across the surface of the water Iruka sank once more. Shaking his head as he calmly walked forward to the sputtering boy once more, Wolf admitted. “We’re going to be here a while.”   
Iruka coughed a bit. “Y-Yeah.”   
Smirking Kakashi held out a hand to the boy. “Come on then, let’s try again.”   
Iruka smiled up at him splashing a bit in order to get his hand up high enough to grasp the offered hold, using the Anbu once more like a ladder to pull himself up above the water. It took a while to catch his breath, but once he had Iruka released Wolf’s hand and nodded. “Okay.” He stared back at the Anbu. “Again.”   
Wolf took a few steps back, leaving the boy to keep his own balance above the water. “Focus.”   
Iruka took a deep breath in preparation.   
  
*******   
  
“I-I can do it.”   
Wolf shook his head while hauling the boy towards the shore. “Yeah, no.”   
“I can.” Iruka coughed a few times.   
“Again, no.”   
Iruka huffed only to cough up more water, once the Anbu released him onto the land the Genin fell to the dirt. Coughing up some more water while simultaneously trying to assure the Anbu. “I can do it.”   
Sighing Wolf knelt down before the boy, pointing out to the still coughing Genin. “You’re too tired to tread water if I wasn’t here you could drown.”   
Iruka frowned, wanting nothing more than to refute that even though secretly he knew the Anbu was right. He tensed a bit when Wolf reached out and ruffled his soaking wet hair.   
“We can train again Iruka, no reason to swallow the lake.”   
Iruka sighed and gave a small forlorn nod, a small hiccup leaving him as he coughed up more water.   
Chuckling Wolf admitted. “We should get you home, you need to dry off and get warm...The last thing we need is you getting pneumonia.”   
Iruka glanced up at the Anbu. “Yeah...That would probably suck.”   
“Probably.” Wolf replied in mirth, he offered his hand to the boy just as he had in the lake. Hoisting Iruka to his feet the Anbu winced when Iruka suddenly wrapped his water-logged body around him in a hug. The dampness soaking through to him far sooner than he could hope to disentangle himself from the Genin, Taking a deep breath as the cold soaked into him Kakashi muttered. “You did that on purpose didn’t you?” The giggle that Kakashi felt as well as heard had him nodding. “I figured as much.”   
  



End file.
